Venetian blind structure



Jan. 22, 1946. H, NELSON 2,393,399

VENETIAN BLIND STRUCTURE Filed July 29, 1944 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Harry HIKE/90x2 I W, MMWM ATTORNEYS v Jan. 22,1946. H. H. NELSON 2,393,399

- VENETIAN BLIND STRUCTURE 3 Filed July 29, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS Y .b'lirr'df film-bars: 13 681181316 Patented Jan. 22, 194

Myj iwenubmemtes. t0. improvements-1 im vlenetiafirl builds;.andihastp.db-,.more pzmimim12 ;.vvithv supi'obrtiiig matisibnthe. tilt bar. commonlyfrfifing a pntflimofl f It has been tlie. mc'tibe. in. the. ease i Vfenew plain. blinds (if. sonsidbralle extent... 1; .e., blinds having" relatively. long. slats. or. having. 3 large fiiir'fibf ,0f'sl'a.ts,. or bptlii; tispppontthe tilt-ban tilt 1591i lia's Y as. its. purpose Qthwefiminlgtiomof the tendency 0f tli kialr' trsagzdbwnwatdly intel me-- ditte. its -.tr'miha.ll suppbrtedt portions... whisk ten= aenc is"emecnwmmegim th o'rily of; aii'pearanc'e: butl alsoimmany instances; fiiomf tlie. standboint ofl seiiuregsmooth ancl easy tiltiiig'ofi'th stats. v sti i jlemnt'all' supports fen gefitlly. kndwn in the. m. as and 2'. numbeii of} designs; thereef' liave beem pr this pumpose.

6', I938. Ih a. sense, the present inventiomtriagebe.

regardedas animpmvement upon. thedevice- 0f that patenfiaffbrdi'rigga .number. :ofi iinpdrtanbads vis. QfT the pribr. art}. my} inventipn may be. said: to riav'mas itS pr-iiti-ary plfijeqt, the prov-isiomofe a; si pplnint'al support m. thetilbban 0E Shine tifi'fillilds. whiblisupporfl is of. greater sttuetural' and; fuQcfiGnaI simpIibit than. any hitherto d6? velbpdl. I t J I lis enothenpbject of. my, inyention to prowideq. supplemental. support for Venetian: blindyztilt be rs wluiehconsists; at only; twapartsgrpnedbr nigide @ttaehmentto the head-27ml? off the; blindg thepthen for rigidsattaehmenfitb thezliiltrbfli fith? linkage of said twu-parts being-R slmple pivotalz natuge I IU-iS'fifUI-thfll: a supplemental; support; fun' Vmetizm blln'd's tilt bmsx wherein: aucumte is inhrehtlgw is sured atwany -andzall:tilbedtpositionss; l It:- is; a: still fiurthi'f abject:- 61: my invefiti on 1:0 rimviiiee. a. mpplemmtan sufipdi t f veffietien v k of di1'i i: S amt fistl y 'criuia'ld find 'urxfitipld ts faeilita-te installatim: (if thwliifrd fiiid t'd efiaibfe easy" de f taehmenmpmetiw passed itszsmts its either 1944;,seri51 No. 5471151 1 1720mm. (01. 160-177) a. tilt benstructufe; whim mboaies.

.p o'gedflfdr example tliat. disclosed: in. thematentz:

tfie chargbtemsms f; he. de

. the tilt rail showmin Fi'g. 5

5 -Figt sii's entical sectional.

.tureshowmin. Rig. 5;

whichmay he. ihstdlledllwi-tfi. agmi'himum of; expensefbnlaliore. e v E'unther obje'ct'seridlobiects enelhtingi tohdetails andfleconomiesyf constructiomand; operat'ibxi. will: more definitely. appear. frornhthe. detailed; descriptibntoefbllews. J v

, inventiondsclearly dfihedlihlth appended. claims, In tlieol'aims aswelllas' in..the.d'e'scrip-, tien,. parts are. identified" sbeifi'cnames. for eonjvenience; but. suchhorheiltslbtlxieis. intended. to be. a.s.-generik1, in. its. applicatibr'i to similar. pants', as. the pribl art, will. permit. Tfiesbest, mm. ih which I. haveeontemplaltedapplying my inv'en; tion. is illust'natdliil the. accompanying. drawings n .elevatiem. illustrating inventi ongin su' ipox ting. means 'tfierefbr ahpmtidn of" the structure beihg, shown. in. section. so. as. to

reveal th'e clrlauactie'r dfftha tilt-bar-attachedlpant of,the sumpolttin'gflrlr earis; I

Fig; 2 is. 3.,ve1 tiball cross sect'idnall'viwr showing the eexiter portion only Oftfie tilt bar, and-head.

=. x ailot the struettlrendepletedtin Fig. '1.,. tl'1e.,v i'ew being talg'emon the HneIr-Z' thereof;

Figai i'sa detail;honizontatdrqssrsectional view 9f the. central portion Ofl the. tlIt'Lbar, the. View. beingstakeii prtthe line 3+3 of Fig. 1;, V Fig.4. is aeperspectivetview o the'center:sup+-= structure illilstrated n l li'gvlj; Fig.5. is a.view, ixii rrcnt. elevation oftthe center portion. (mly, oflahead .railandl ,tiltbar. provided with tilt bar. supportimg.meams c nsti-tuting. an. othenembodimentof myinvention; t 'ew of..the stlaucline 6-.-B thereoi; H w, Fig. '7 is 9,.bqtt0m planyiew oi the portionoi and}. V

otthe center lsub illilstratedl m. Figs.

-l fig; is a perspectiveyiew port, per. se, of the structure 5',.6 a.nd' 7..

, Similai chai fajctersoilreference refer. tosimilarparts throughout-the. seveitalwiews.

.lnla br0a.d sense,- my. invention may; bevsaidttot consist in. the provisibn. of a. center, on otherwise non-tepminallyl locateisupplement'al supportfbr.

me. tilt" bar of. a. Venetian. lilind' which. supports consists essentially o'f't'wo" hingedly-coupled-parts;- one rigidly, mounted. upon, the. head. rail .of. the blind; andthe other ri'gidmtmounted ri the. tilt. bar ther'oflfl Thev headimilgattached. parthhas.

the gener cfiafacter, Of" a; dpe'ndingvblfackett terminating. iii} a. hook which, receives and.- suppart, which pintle portion is acurately located on the rotative axis of the tilt bar. The tilt rail is notched-out or otherwise relieved at the zone of such supplemental support and the clearance thus aflorded the bracket, in conjunction with the offset character of the bracket itself, enables rcthat supplemental support therefor is required and, in accordance with the concepts of the present invention, this flexibility is utilized to advantage by reliance thereon to enable and out of assembly rail-carried bracket.

Referring now to the I have illustratedin Figs. 1 through 4 thereof what I regard to be the best form of my invention from the standpoint of simplicity. In Fig. 1 is depicted a conventional head rail in of wood or the like (shown shortened by breaking out portions thereof) which head rail carries the usual cord-operated tilter mechanism (referenced generally by the numeral H and end bracket I2, by and between which parts H and H the tilt bar l 3 (also usually of wood and here shown broken out to permit. condensed illustration) is terminally supported for rotation. To this tilt bar I 3 are attached the usual slat-supporting tapes of the blind proper (not shown). As is Well known, when the blind is of considerable extent (for example having slats and tilt barmore than three feetin length, or having a large ber of slats which impose such a burden upon the tilt bar l3 that the support at H and. I 2 is inadequate to carry the load with security and without appreciable depressed bowing of the intermediate portion of tilt bar) additional support is desirable. V

In accordance with the concepts of my invention as embodied by the structure shown in Figs. 1 to 4, such supplemental support is effected through the use'of two simple parts; a bracket l4 provided with, a base I 441 secured by conventional wood screws Mb to the under face of the head rail toward its rear edge, and a W-shaped staple I 5 driven into the body of, the wood tilt bar at such position, and to such extent, that the central bight portion l5a thereof lies onv the axis of rotation of the tilt bar l3 and isreceivable as a pintle within the hook I40 of the head-rail carried bracket. As is clearly evident in Fig. 2. the tilt bar I3 is cut out (from its reared'ge) for approximately its'width, aiiording clearance for the bracket l4 depicted further in Figs. 1 and 3. In the case of a tilt bar of wood, this frelief" or clearance can be readily effected by means. of a wide saw out. In the case of a metal tilt b'ar (not shown), it maybe desirable to provide the clearance gap in conjunction with the blanking operation performed to fabricate the bar, in which event the pintle portion l5a of the support can be provided as a homogeneously integral portion of the bar itself, eitherfby welding or by a blanking operation. 7 i

While a single supplemental support. such as depicted in Figs. 1 suflice, centrally-installed, to maintain the tilt bar against sagging under the burden of supporting a long and heavy slat assembly. under some with the hook of the headaccompanying drawings,

through. 4 normally would.

circumstances it may be found desirable to employ two or more such bracket-and-pin assemblies along the span of the tilt bar. In the case of such a multiple installation, the supports can be distributed along the full extent of the tilt bar, preferably at positions, between the several tape strings suspended therefrom to carry the slats of the blind proper.

In Figs.'6 through 8 of the drawings, I have disclosed another embodiment of my invention which differs from that illustrated in Figs. 1

through 4 principally in respect to the character normal springing of the aforesaid tilt-bar-carried pintle into of the tilt-bar-carried element which is impaled upon the hook of the head-rail-carried-bracket.

This bracket, denoted by the numeral H4, is of simple L shape, the base portion 4a of which is secured to the head rail H0, adjacent its rear edge, by conventional wood screws H 4b. The lower end of the bracket terminates in a hook portion :I'Mc which is forwardly offset with .respect to the base portion I Ha soas to lie directly beneath the axis of rotation of the tilt bar H3. The tilt bar I I3 is relieved to a somewhat greater extent than is that illustrated in the firstdiscussed embodiment of my invention, which relief may be effected therein, in the case Of a. wood num- tilt slat or bar, by means or aconventional dado saw. Upon the under face of the thus-notched tilt bar H3 is secured, as by wood screws H50, the plate member H5 which conforms to the slotted configuration of the bar H4 and is formed withan integral staple-lik structure 5a, 5b which is received within the slot of the tilt bar. The pintle portion 1 |-5aof this structure lies along the rotative axis of the tilt bar'and is received within the hook formation 40' of the head rail bracket, afiording support for the tilt bar from said head rail. From an inspection of the character of the bracket H4 and the slot provided 40 in the tilt bar, as illustrated in Fig. 6, it'will be is possible to provide manifest that a full rotation of the tilt bar is enabled'withoutresort ,to relianceupon the" complicated'articulated bracket structures of the priorart. r

- The mode of use of the structures herein disclosed as illustrative of the concepts of my present invention, as well as the advantages inherent thereto,' should be readily understood. In each instance there is a pintle' element which substalb many bridges the slot of the tilt bar andIwhich is located on the approximate axisof barrotation'. The "hooks l-lc 'and' H40 are each set forward of the brackets proper l4 and H4,respectiv ely, so as to afford a minimum ofinterference with the bar in its 'tilting rotation.-' Accordingly, it clearance for these brackets by a slot'extending not much more than halfway'throu'gh the'tilt'bar. In each instance, some strengthening of the slotted tilt bar against lateral and torsionalflexure is 5, although the 'plate H5 .01 the latterembodiment is most effective in this respect; Actualexperience, however, has shown that either structure is entirely adequate for general use. "Likewise; itma'y be pointed out that although for most installations a'singlesupplemental support of the forms herein disclosed and claimed will sumce for general purposes when provided midway; between the -tiltbar ends, two ormore, such structures may be. employed if desired. Attention is called -ftQ 'the'diflerence in shape which distinguishes the bases [4a and I Ma of the illustrated brackets l4 and- H4, respectively, and ,to the, 'fact th'at the former is susceptiblev of production with little or no afforded by the pintle additional as-serene stock'evem thoughzmeanssareiprovided f ai supper-t .atesch side-mathemapending hook-carrying; thereofr. Breton.- eech= of; the? parts: which; comprises: the supplemented; supports: herein: illustrated are fabrizonteditrom inexpensive sheet metal}, the? W shaped membe relianceauponr the inherent.- flexibility of the-tilt bars 132 and; M3; it'iS; possiblertore-fiectimanual hooking -unhooking of? the: pintle-to the brackettwithout; resonate-special! fastening means on tools-.;3,0then fen resrofiaduantagefem-my invention notihereini'particularly stressed; will appear: to; those. insthe Venetiam. blind; ant. upon familiarization withthegenenalrprineipjles thereoia L therefore; regards-my invention broadly; as indicated. by the: appended claims; and: I- wish: it understood-z thatitheltermsse loyed in: each: said olaimzu are: to: bra given-:tli'ein: broadest; possible meaning; consistent-i with their: application its, the conceptsoft mventiont as; distinguished: from the prior art pertinent theretoxq. pq Wh'atiLclaim is-t Astilb ban structure ionVenetiantbiinds; com:

prising: a1. head bar, a-t'lt-ban journaledfor reltation; adiacent said; headaban; a pintle set il'ii said tilt ban betweerr its: endsaandrorn its; axisof rotationl-amii aerigidzbracketrigidlg secured: to said head ban and. extending therefrom in. the. form of! ahqokzreceptive ofz and; supporting; saidipintle; -2. A .t ilt banstructure-fortvenetianbiinds com a-lheadi'bar; a til-t. .bar; journaledz forrotation. adjacent said: head a in: saidtilt. bar. betweenitssends a: pintledm; said slot said pintla lying-on. the axis, of; rotation oiv said! tilt bar; and; at rigid: bracket; rigidly.- ser- CUIBdEtOiSQid; head ban and. extending therefrom imthe formofi a hook receptiyeof. and supporting sa-id-n n 2:=. Y a v a 3, A tile-ban structureifor.Venetian-blinds;.com=- prising; atheadsbar; a.tiitlban-jonrnaled fon approximately semisrevlolutionaryrotationaadiapenti said head bar, a transverse slot provided in saidi tilt-bani the: slot extendinge more than. half-way acrossthe width; of saidtilt ban aepintlelbridginge said slot, said pintle lying of said:tilt.-ban,,andiaznigid bracket rigidly secured to said head bar and extending therefrom in the form of a hook receptive of and supporting said pintle.

4. A tilt bar structure for Venetian blinds, comprising: a head bar, a tilt bar having some degree of flexibility, said tilt bar being terminally journaled for approximately semi-revolutionary rotation adjacent said head bar, and. means for precluding intermediate sagging of said tilt bar under the load to which it is intended to be subfi e s a simple: p n -mg; Ba

slotspnovided on the axis of rotation.

thei axis ofsrotatiom rden'thaloadrtda which: it.- is intended. to besulfijedted; aim meanest comprisinga transverse: slot providediini saiditiltibar; said:- slot: extending? sulr- .stantiallrg hal-fswayr across the: Width: of said. tilt 1181",; at nint'le in". said slotn saidepintlez-lyingt-on of: said: tilt: barijandiai rigid bracket rigidlyssecuned tosa'idheadrbar and. da-- pending-:theretromli-jatthe: rear of the" axiszof rotatinmof: said tilt-bar, brackethaving: alienwardistedireetedr terminalzhook portiom extending beneath said axislof .rotationi and supporting? said pintlei andrrestrainingg said: tilt: bar; againstein jected, said means comprising a transverse slot provided in said tilt bar, the slot extending more than half-way across the width of said tilt bar, a pintle bridging said slot, said pintle lying on the axis of rotation of said tilt bar, and a, rigid bracket rigidly secured to said head bar and de-- pending therefrom in the form of a hook receptive of said pintle and restraining said tilt bar against intermediate sagging under load, said pintle being initially engageable with said hook by simple manually-induced bowing of the intermediate portion of said tilt bar. V

5. A tilt bar structure for Venetian blinds 'comprising: a head bar, a tilt bar having some degree of flexibility, said tilt bar being terminally journaled for approximately semi-revolutionary rotation adjacent said head bar, and means for precluding intermediate sagging of said tilt bar untermediatesagging underloadzl; v 1., 1.61 Ariifltabfil'r'Sl'lllliCtllllB forvenetiamblindsgcomiprising-,3 a: headaban-atilt ban havingisome degree of flexibility; said'tilt. ban being; terminally inurenaledzl for approximately, semierevolutionaryeroe .tationsadiacent; saidhead; ban, and: meansifor precluding: intermediate: sagging; of saidatilt bar undeie'the 'loadzto whichiitistintendedito besubjectedrsaid: means-2 comprising. a slot provided: in said. tilt ban, said slot: extending;- substantially halt-way aorossithe widthl oissaidrtilttbar, a pintle in said slot, said: pintledying; on theaxis. of: .ro-e tation. of: said tiltbar; andralrigidzbracket rigidly secured: to, saidlheadt ban, thetbr-acketldepending frQIDfiSfidC ii leadi bar at the: rear of?v theraxisi OfsIO! tation .of said; tilt bar;., the br I ketihaving aafo a wardlg-directedi terminal hook portioniextending beneath. said axis 0ft rotatiom the: hooks/portionsupporting said pintle: and.v restraining-.csaid. tilt ban againstintermediate sagginggunder load said' pintlez being; initially; engageable with; said; hook portionlby si nplemanuall induced upwardgbowing' ottheiintermediate-portion of saidztilt -bar;

'l As tiltbar structure for- Venetian blinds comrprising: athead bare. jatilt. bar .journaled for ro-v tation: adjacent. said-head ban-and; provided with a. slot; extending. substantially; halfeway; across thei widthithereofrat a location remote from its ends; atnig-id bracket-rigidly; secured to said head ban and depending; therefrom. inqthe forlmr of a hook portiom extending-beneath; SEtid EkXiSDf ro-. tation.- and a member-fastened *tQrSflid tilt-bar idging: the? said; slot: therein; .sa-idimemben hav n ,;a pintle. portion in said. slot onqthez axis oft-rotation; of said tilt bar. and received: within, the hook portion of said bracket to restrain said tilt bar against intermediate sagging under load;

8. A tilt bar structure for Venetian blinds, comprising: a head bar, a tilt bar journaled for rotation adjacent said head bar and provided with a slot extending substantially half-way across the width thereof at a location remote from its ends, a rigid bracket rigidly secured to said head bar and depending therefrom in the form of a hook portion extending beneath said axis of rotation, and a pronged staple bridging the slot in said tilt bar, said staple having a, bight portion set in said slot on the axis of rotation of said tilt bar, said. bight portion tation, and a w-shaped staple driven into the material of said tilt bar at each side of the slot therein-provided, the staple having an intermediate portion set in said slot on the axis of rotabemg engaged with the hook portion of said bracket to restrain said tilt bar tion of said tilt bar and engaged with the hook portion of said bracket to restrain said tiltba againstintermediatesagging under load. IO/A tilt bar structure for Venetian blinds, comprising: a head bar, a tilt bar journaled for rotation adjacent said head bar and provided with a slot extending substantially half-way across the width thereof at a location remote from its ends, a rigid bracket rigidly secured to-said headbar and depending therefrom in the form of a hook' portion extending beneath said axis of rotation, and a W-shaped staple driven into the material of said tilt bar from its under face, said staple bridging said slot and strengthening said tiltbar torsionally, and said staple having an intermediate portion set in said slot on the axis of rotation of said tilt bar and engaged with the hook portion of sa d bracket to restrain said tilt bar against intermediate sagging under load.

11. A tilt bar structure for Venetian blinds, comprising: a head'bar, a tilt bar journaled for rotation adjacent-said head bar and provided with a slot extending substantially half-way across the width thereof at a location remote from its ends, a rigid bracket rigidly secured to said head bar and depending therefrom in the form of a hook portion extending into the slot of saidv tilt bar beneath said axis of rotation, a plate member secured to the under face of said tilt bar to increase the resistance thereof to torsional and lateral fiexure in the region of said slot, and a pintle set in said slot on said axis of rotation and engaged with the hook portion of said bracket to restrain said tilt bar against sagging under load.

12. A tilt bar structure for Venetian blinds, comprising: a rotation adjacent said head bar and provided with a slot extending substantially half-way across the width thereof at a location remote from its ends, a rigid bracket rigidly secured tosaid head bar and depending therefrom in the form of a hook portion extending into the slot of said tilt bar beneath said axis of rotation, a plate member secured to the under face of said tilt bar to increase the resistance thereof to torsional and lateral fiexure in the region of said slot, and a pintle portion integral with said plate member head bar, a tilt bar journaled for fand: disposed within said slot for engagement with the hook portion of said said tilt bar against sagging under load.

' 13. A tilt bar for Venetian blinds comprising: a flat slat of non-metallic material having the general characteristics inherent to wood, said slat having a transverse slot therein at a position remote from its ends, said slot extending substantially-half-way across the width of said tilt bar, and a staple-like member driven into the material of said slatfrom its under face and bridging the slot therein, said staple-like memher having a pintle portion thereof located on the longitudinal axis of rotation of said slat.

14. A fitting for providing a. Venetian-blind tilt bar with a supporting pintle between the ends of the bar, said fitting comprising a unitary onepieoe staple substantially W-shape in form, the outside legs of the W-formation being drive-in prongs for attaching the fitting to a tilt bar, and the center bight portion of the W'-formation being formed as a pintle; V

15. A fitting as in claim 14 in which the four legs of the W-formation are parallel to each other and are connected together collectivelyby three portions disposed perpendicularly to the legs.

16. For a Venetian blind having a head bar and a tilt bar, a fitting for supporting the tilt bar between its ends, said fitting comprising: a plate -to be positioned fiatwise against the bottom of the head bar and besecured thereto, a flat arm rigid with the plate and extending downwardly and forwardly, the plane of the arm being perpendicular to the plate, and the arm terminating in a hook spaced vertically from the plate by a distance substantially equal to the spacing between the head bar and the axis of rotation of the tilt bar; and a member to be attached to the tilt bar, said member having a pintle portion detachably engageable with said hook, said pintle portion being positioned at the axis of rotation of the tilt bar when the member is attached thereto. 7

17. A fitting as in claim 16 in which the member to be attached to the tilt bar is a W-shaped staple.

' HARRY H NELSON.

bracket to restrain 

